Ex-RB Beard winner is the real deal

Former El Bizcocho executive chef Gavin Kaysen is a celebrity.
He has managed to garner every high profile chef award in the
country. He has represented the USA at the Bocuse d'Or. He's been a
top 10 new young chef in Food & Wine Magazine. He's been a
contender on Iron Chef America and earlier this month, he won the
coveted James Beard Rising Star Chef Award. This is not too shabby
for a handsome, articulate 28-year-old.

But is all this celebrity the real deal? As a disclaimer, I
admit to meeting Gavin in my job as publicist at the Rancho
Bernardo Inn. I was brought on board when Gavin was elevated to
executive chef at El Bizcocho. But over the years of his fast track
food career, I came to know this young man's soul, and it is a soul
worthy of cloning in the very artificial food world we all
experience daily on just about every TV channel.

Gavin's love is not celebrity; his love is food.

For him, the highest compliment is not about him but about his
food. He always wanted to hear the words delicious, exquisite,
perfectly balanced. There were many times during my years of
working with him that I didn't use those complimentary words.

He often heard from me, "Get over yourself. Remember why you got
into this business: it's not about you; it's about the food." Then
there were the words: "This dish doesn't work; the components are
fighting; why did you put that on the plate?"

When Gavin was preparing to cook at the James Beard House for
the first time, a group of us gathered to taste the menu. It wasn't
very good, and it didn't work. I knew it and so did Gavin. When I
met with him the next day I explained that the problem was that he
was cooking what he thought people wanted him to cook rather than
cooking from his heart. I told him that if he paid attention and
cooked from his heart, the rest would come. And cook from his heart
he did. His dinner was one of the best that year at the Beard
House.

The Bocuse d'Or tested Gavin's mettle probably more than
anything he will ever face. His goal was always to win. His focus
over those long months demonstrated a strength and work ethic not
often found in an profession. He didn't win, but every American can
be proud of his effort. The next American to compete can thank
Gavin for laying the groundwork for much stronger support for the
American competitor. Gavin's only wish is to see an American on the
podium for the first time; he believes in the culinary talent in
this country. This again is Gavin's soul speaking.

Gavin's Food & Wine award came and went. Right in the middle
of the win, after many soul-searching months, he decided to leave
El Bizcocho last fall and join Daniel Boulud's team to become
executive chef at Cafe Boulud in New York City.